Women's Foundation of Montana announces grants

Projects will support female entrepreneurship, financial education

By KATHERYN HOUGHTON

Daily Inter Lake

The Women’s Foundation of Montana plans to invest more than $50,000 in projects that seek to close the gender wage gap by supporting economic independence for Montana women.

In 1979, women’s earnings were 62 percent of men’s, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2015, women who worked full time had median weekly earnings at 81 percent of those of a man’s full-time wage.

Women’s Foundation Program Director Jen Euell said she believes the effort for women to be paid equally to men is not moving fast enough.

“We are disappointed at the slow pace of progress toward equity, but galvanized in our commitment to invest our funds strategically to shorten the timeline to parity,” Euell said.

A project of the Montana Community Foundation, the Women’s Foundation of Montana announced the grant funding will focus on best practices that give girls the tools to be financially successful and programs that improve women’s economic security.

The foundation released the announcement April 3, the day before what some honor as Equal Pay Day. The day symbolizes how far into the year women have to work to earn what men earned in the previous year.

According to the Montana state task force Equal Pay for Equal Work, Montana women earn 74 percent of the median earnings of men in the state. That comes to $32,293 compared to men’s $43,490.

That places Montana 45th in the nation in pay equity when considering full-time workers, according to the 2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Women’s Foundation of Montana board of advisors will award grants to nonprofits that support economic independence for Montana women and girls through programs like financial education, leadership and entrepreneurship programs, wage negotiation training, and innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math programming for girls.

Euell said preference is given to programs that show innovation, collaboration and measurable results.

Girls Representing In Trades of the YWCA Missoula, also known as GRIT, used the grant over the last year to launch a program that helps introduce girls to traditionally high-income jobs filled by men, such as welding and mechanics.

“This program is about girls getting their hands dirty, feeling confident, and recognizing that they have more options,” said GRIT Program Manager Roe Erin.

Letters of Intent will be accepted through April 30. Application materials are available at www.wfmontana.org. Learn more about the Montana Community Foundation at www.mtcf.org.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.